


By Each Other's Sides - [Julain Devorak/Female Apprentice]

by Megladon045



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drabble, F/M, Falling In Love, Female Apprentice (The Arcana), Julian Devorak Route Spoilers, Julian Devorak's Route, Love Confessions, Marriage Proposal, New happy memories, Past Asra/Julian Devorak, Past Bad Memories, Self-Acceptance, True Love, Validation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:35:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28524081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megladon045/pseuds/Megladon045
Summary: Julian Devorak is remembering his past and all of the hurt that follows it. Before he proposes to the apprentice, he thinks about everything they have been through. He reminisces on much joy she has brought into his life, and how much she has helped him through his journey of gaining his identity, self love and self acceptance back.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak
Kudos: 11





	By Each Other's Sides - [Julain Devorak/Female Apprentice]

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Arcana, its storyline explained in this work, or any of the characters mentioned. All rights belong to Nix Hydra (the software developer of this game), and its writers, workers, and developers.

Julian Devorak had always been quite reserved when it came to his heart. He had never understood why he felt the way he did. So much had happened, and he became swarmed in his own emotion. He felt as if he was falling into a deep and dark pit of self blame and sorrow, with not even a bit of sight left in that pit, and no way to get out of it. Julian surrendered to this and gave up in a way, succumbing to the effects of loneliness and bad dreams that would creep into his brain and haunt him at night. 

Julian tried his best, one fact of which he knew deep down, but couldn’t admit to. He felt as if he had failed. He couldn’t even remember what happened, or if he was truly guilty of cold blooded murder. He thought how he got to that point, and what would make him do such a thing. He was constantly contradicting and questioning himself. But with that tiny bit of self drive, the drive in which we all have even when things seem hopeless, he sought out to find the truth of what happened that night.

Before that wretched night of Lucio’s murder, Julian tried with all his might to find a cure for the plague. He had been trying to do a good deed. He knew that he had medical knowledge that he could put to good use. He dedicated all his time and energy to find a cure, and yet he felt like he failed. He felt so lost; he had good intentions, and yet he was now in hiding. He was considered the bad guy. And the worst part was he didn’t even know if he was actually guilty. All he knew is that he had to flee, and disguise himself and hide away from society. Mentally it was just horrible. 

And the dreams; the dreams prevented him from even wanting to sleep. So, he would stay up for as long as possible. If really needed sleep, and got to the point that he was not able to function without it, he would take short naps trying to prevent himself from going into a deep REM sleep. 

Mazelinka would often find herself forcing Julian to get some proper sleep and eat hearty meals, and threatening him with her wooden spoon if he didn’t comply. But she realized he was far too gone. She tried to give her support as much as possible, and offered him a place to stay whenever need be. She knew he was thick headed, and it would take a lot of hope for him to stop blaming himself for everything. Julian ended up creating a pattern for himself, where even when things were clearly not his fault, he would create a scenario in his head in which it was. He really got used to being like a punching bag, taking every bad occurrence into his own hands which went straight to his heart. 

He would also think about his bad decisions, his mistakes, and his past, staring far too long at the marking on his hand. That was all he could ever think about sometimes. 

He figured that this was why he became reserved. It may also be the fact that in his past he and Asra’s relationship never worked out. They were both using each other for different reasons though. Yet he did have genuine feelings for Asra. But again, they were both using each other for different reasons, and not good ones for the record. Julian had special kinks when it came sex, one of them being a pain kink. He could explore with Asra, and wasn’t judged, and needed it to release some stress. 

The fear of being judged and the reality that everyone now hated him because they thought he was a literal murderer… let's just say that can make dating complicated. 

Julian also didn’t want anyone to have to get wrapped up in his drama. He figured that would be unfair and selfish. He loved to get drunk and flirt though, but he would never create any relationships past that. He just stuck to good old fashioned pick up lines and a few one night stands here and there, which he felt that he did not even deserve that when things got really bad. 

He knew he couldn’t get involved with anyone, although he dreamed someday he could find out the truth of what happened that night and restore his reputation. 

But he made his plan that he would just focus on himself and his own mess. That is, until the apprentice came along. 

She was absolutely stunning. Probably at first sight one of the most attractive women he had seen. He did have a crush on her, and could see himself going places with her. He had to die things down though; he couldn’t risk any slip ups and end up ruining her life because of him. 

From their first accidental run in he knew she was not going to be easy to get rid of. Julian had wanted to see Asra and get some help, and fix their friendship in the process if possible, although that was a longshot concept. And there she was, the apprentice, automatically prying him of information, being as stubborn as anything. He automatically liked that about her. He respected a resilient and stubborn woman. She knew what she wanted and how to get it. He found himself wanting to let his guard down and tell her details about his life that were very personal. 

Over time they got to know each other more, and Julian could see how kind she was. She was understanding, and from what he could see non judgmental. She was talented, and always insisted on helping him when she could with her magic. It almost reminded Julian of himself, how he saw where his expertise was needed with the plague and he tried to help as much as possible. He really respected that about her too as he could see she was a good hearted person. She seemed to always be by his side, and accepted him, even as she learned that he may not have been as good of a person as she thought he was. Julian saw that he was starting to already fall in love with her. 

He knew he had to stop this before it was too late. A woman this incredible could not be burdened by him. He tried to break up with her. Still, she stayed. She stood her ground. And she managed to creep right back into his life once again. It was as if she was meant to be with him, constantly being drawn back into his path. He realized he should just see where this goes, because she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “Why did she have to be so headstrong?” he mused to himself. 

As they tried to discover the truth, she was constantly validating him and continued to stand by his side. The apprentice was also quite the comedian, as she always kept him giggling even when things seemed truly fucked. 

When Julian thought that he was actually guilty and he misunderstood the evidence, he got in front of everyone at the colosseum and confessed his “crime”. The apprentice knew in her heart and gut that he was not who they thought he was, and that he was just confused. She realized this was all a huge misinterpretation. She spoke out on his behalf. Once Julian saw this, he was astonished. She risked everything for him. She had no evidence that he was blameless, and yet she just believed. She followed her heart for him, she was willing to do that for him. It struck Julian that this was not just a fling, this was true love. He had never been treated this compassionately before. He knew this was serious. He also realized that they were a good team together. They would both help one another and balance each other out. 

From that point forward a lot had happened. But as life hit them with curveballs, they persevered. It proved that they were strong. She would constantly help him feel good about himself, and she made him happy. He had not even remembered the last time he felt true happiness. This fact brought tears to his eyes. He was overjoyed with the amount of positive emotions he was being bombarded with. It was a much preferred feeling over all of those negative feelings from his past. But for all those bad memories, and for all those bad nights, the good ones with the apprentice made up for it. She opened up his eyes to a world that he never thought he would see. Except she saw it differently, she saw it as herself guiding him through things, and it was ultimately his doing of getting himself to a better place of self acceptance and not giving up. She was always like this: always thinking about his accomplishments and reminding him about them when he started to self pity. 

The masquerade was a night he would never forget, all thanks to the apprentice. He had not been able to attend the event in so long, and he had the best time there then he ever had before. He was able to dress up, eat delicious food, and dance, all with the apprentice. That night with her really sealed the deal for Julian, and if they made it out alive, he planned on making her officially his (or maybe it was the other way around, maybe it was really her making him officially hers, being that she was so strong willed; she made it clear from the beginning that she wore the pants in the relationship!)

They created a bond that was able to not only rid the city of Lucio and his antics, but also defeat the devil. The truth came out, Julian proved his innocence. He restored his relationships with everyone, including Asra, which he never saw happening. He finally was reunited with his sister. People loved him again for who he was. They saw his efforts and appreciated it. He could start to move on from his past totally. He was able to open up his own clinic. He felt needed again. He could not have done any of this without her.  
Mazelinka looked upon Julian with a sense of pride, seeing him overcome the obstacles that once tortured him. 

And most importantly, Julian Devorak confessed his love, and the apprentice shared the same feelings. He had never had that happen before, but by God, he cherished it. 

Julian sat underneath a tree, reminiscing about all of this, toying with a tiny black box that held a beautiful engagement ring in it, made by the finest jewelers that Vesuvia had. He wanted to marry her. He knew she was the one. He loved her and wanted to show his appreciation to her by dedicating himself to her completely. And while he waited for her to come by the romantic picnic that she had set up, he thought about how gorgeous and amazing she was. He remembered these memories with her, but was also ready to make new ones too. 

Julian quickly put the ring into his back pocket, and led her to the picnic. They did nothing but eat and laugh until their sides were sore. They made each other happy, and that was all that they could ever ask for. 

The apprentice found it a bit strange with the way that Julian had been acting, almost nervous like. He was also staring at her quite a bit and giving her all of these romantic looks. It was only until she turned back around after being asked to stand up and look the other way did she understand why he was acting strange. 

The apprentice saw her lover on one knee with a ring in his hands, proposing to her with a speech that brought tears to her eyes. She of course said yes, and they spent the rest of that day crying tears of joy and thinking of all they had been through. They laid side by side, and spent the rest of the day just like that. They have always been and will forever be by each other’s sides.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!!! Comments are always welcome!


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